As families across Illinois wait for clarity on their food assistance, volunteers at the Pilgrim Faith Food Pantry say they have never seen demand this high.
The pantry, located at 9411 S. 51st Avenue in Oak Lawn, has seen the number of people seeking help more than double since the recent cuts to federal SNAP benefits.
“We went from maybe 20 or 25 bags each time we were open to about 50,” said Mary Connaghan, who helps run the pantry. “It’s mostly new people now. It started almost right after the announcement and it’s just continued.”
The Illinois Department of Human Services said the Trump administration has not complied with court orders to release full November SNAP benefits. Without that funding, the state can only issue partial payments, leaving some households with no benefits at all.
Connaghan said the change was immediate. “It used to be that most people came right when we opened at 10, then it slowed down by 11,” she said. “Now it’s continual. There are people waiting before we open, and we’re staying past noon to make sure everyone gets something.”
The pantry operates on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon, relying entirely on volunteers and donations. “The community around us has always stepped up,” Connaghan said. “They’re still stepping up now, but you start to wonder how long people can keep doing it.”
Volunteer Reenie Neylon said the demand has tripled, if not more. “We used to go through maybe 10 or 14 bags a day. Now it’s 50,” she said. “In the first two weeks of November, we handed out 100 bags. It’s a lot to keep up with.”
The pantry mainly distributes nonperishable food such as pasta, cereal and canned goods. Fresh food like milk, eggs and meat isn’t an option. “We just do the best we can with staples,” Connaghan said.
Still, the volunteers try to make it personal. Neylon said they adjust what they give based on each person’s situation. “Some folks can’t cook, so we pack items that can be eaten cold or with little preparation,” she said. “There’s one man who keeps peanut butter and jelly because he can eat it right out of the jar. Another person uses a gas station microwave when an employee lets them. You think about things like that differently once you meet them.”
Families have also been showing up for the first time. Neylon recalled a mother of six who came in looking overwhelmed. “We made sure she left with big boxes of cereal and enough to get through the week,” she said. “When kids come, we always try to give them a little toy or crayons. It’s small, but it helps.”
For Connaghan, who has volunteered for five years, this has been the hardest stretch she’s seen. “It’s the worst it’s been,” she said. “But at the same time, it reminds you there are still good people out there. People who show up with donations, neighbors checking in on each other. It keeps you going.”
The pantry is running a turkey drive ahead of Thanksgiving, asking for donations of turkeys between 10 and 15 pounds. They’ve received a few already, but the need is far greater. Donations can be dropped off during pantry hours or made through the Pilgrim Faith Church Facebook page.
Neylon said they’re also putting together an Amazon wish list for Giving Tuesday to make it easier for people to contribute. “Even one box of pasta or a can of soup helps,” she said. “It all counts right now.”
As more people fall through the cracks of the system, Connaghan said the work has taken on a different kind of urgency. “It’s hard seeing how many are struggling,” she said. “But every bag we hand out, every person who leaves here with food, it matters. We just keep going.”
